


The Tension Needs To Go

by PippinSqueaks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Campfires, Fluff, Foiled Confessions, M/M, MAJOR SEASON SIX SPOILERS, Mutual Pining, Sadness, Set post-season 6, Shiro suffering, but like suffering in the background, but they’re both dumb as shit so they don’t realise it’s mutual pining, vld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 16:12:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14937608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PippinSqueaks/pseuds/PippinSqueaks
Summary: Set immediately after the end of season 6! The Paladins have a sit down and Lance and Krolia have an discussion about Keith.*SPOILERS FOR S6! DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN ALL OF S6!*





	The Tension Needs To Go

The team had stopped on a forest moon for the night on the way back to Earth. Thanks to some stern words from Hunk, the team had conceded that they couldn’t fly the lions through the night and they all needed some rest, so Coran, Hunk and Pidge had built a campfire that everyone was huddled around. Shiro was fast asleep, his white hair looking strange due to the light of the fire. 

Allura was sitting on her own, but within reach of Shiro in case of emergency, in a corner. Lance glanced over to her occasionally with sad eyes. The incident with Lotor had broken the young princess’ heart. She had mumbled a request to have some alone time before she had left to sit in the corner. 

“The princess...” A voice startled Lance and he turned to see Krolia moving Lance’s discarded paladin armour to sit down beside him. “She cared for Lotor.”

“Yeah, I guess she did.” Lance murmured back. He fiddled with his helmet, resting in his lap. 

“You care for her.” Krolia said, glancing over at Allura. 

“.....I do. I’m just worried about her.” Lance replied dejectedly. 

“Love can be complicated, Lance.” Krolia said gently. “Sometimes doing what is best for the ones you love means making the hard choice.”

“Maybe.” Lance put his helmet down on the ground. “I’ve been meaning to ask, actually. You said you’re Keith’s mom, right?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you leave him?”

“I had no choice. I had to put the mission first.” She said sadly. “He takes after me in that respect.”

“He does. Mission first, and all that.”

“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard for him, Lance.” Krolia affirmed. “He missed you all. Shiro is like a brother to him. And you....”

“Me....what?” Lance asked. 

“Keith speaks fondly of you. Two years alone with him showed that quite clearly.”

“Two-wait, what?! Is that why he’s bigger?!” Lance gaped. 

“Time was distorted on the mission. It was mere days for you. It was years for us.”

Lance looked over at Keith, who was pouring water into a large bowl.   
“All that time alone with Keith....” he said, before joking “Must’ve been torture.”

Krolia rolled her eyes. “It was nice to get to know him. And know all of you through him. He spoke of you lots, Lance.”

“Why?”

“Keith thinks you’re childish. But...he always smiled when he spoke about you.”

Lance blinked rapidly in confusion.   
“I always thought he hated me. Lance and Keith, rivals for life.”

“He doesn’t hate you.” Krolia smiled slightly. “In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite.”

Keith stood up across from them and removed his shirt, dropping it into the bowl of water. Lance’s throat went slightly dry as he stared at Keith. He had a small scar on his left pectoral and the v lines that went down towards his trousers...nope, nope, Lance was not going to think about those lines. 

“He won’t say it, but he missed you all a lot when he was away with me. You should talk to him.” Krolia said quietly. 

“He’s busy.” Lance blurted. 

“He’s just washing his clothes. He can speak at the same time.”

Lance sighed and got up, walking around the fire until he was by Keith. 

“Hi...”

“Lance.” Keith looked up. “Do you need something?”

“No, no...I just...” Lance wasn’t looking at Keith’s shoulder muscles. Absolutely not. “I wanted to see how you were.”

“I’m fine.” Keith said in his usual blunt manner. 

“You were gone for two years, Keith.” Lance said, and Keith visibly stiffened. “That’s a long time, man.”

“Yeah, well, it was important to the mission.”

“You didn’t see us all for two years. You didn’t see ME for two years. How did you cope?!” Lance attempted to joke. 

“I thought of the things I’d do when I came back.” Keith said quietly, taking the dripping shirt out of the water. 

“Like what, wash?”

“Like see you.” Keith muttered. 

“Me?”

“A-all of you!”

“Oh....” Lance said. Why was there a part of him that felt almost disappointed? “What was it like there?”

“There wasn’t much. Plants, animals. The usual. But no people.”

“Wow, so you didn’t see anyone but your mom for two years?”

“No.”

“That means you haven’t gotten laid in at least three years, then.” Lance smirked. 

“I-what?!” Keith went pink. “That’s not relevant!”

“Not relevant, but funny.”

“Oh, like you’ve ever gotten with anyone since we left Earth. Even before that!” Keith crossed his arms. 

“I’ll have you know that I am very smooth!” Lance argued. “I’m betting there are tons of people that have been praying for my return when we get back to Earth! Like Jenny Forrestine! And Sarah Gerard! And Pete Gordon!” 

“Pete Gordon?” Keith said in confusion. 

“Ah! He’s...he’s no-one!” Lance waved his arms. “Just this guy from the Garrison...”

“Huh. Is he cute?”

“Yeah! I mean, WHAT?!” 

Keith shrugged. “If he’s cute, go for it.”

“Keith, I’m not into him! I mean, I was once, but not any more!”

“You were into PETE GORDON?!” Pidge piped up with a mischievous smirk. 

“Oh, yeah.” Hunk said with a similarly devious grin. “But He never did anything about it. Lance is a disaster when it comes to speaking to cute guys.”

“No way!” Pidge rolled around laughing. 

“I am not!” Lance protested. “I’ll have you know I am very suave!”

“I can’t imagine that.” Coran said. 

“Hey!”

“Lance, I love you, but you’re even worse with talking to guys you like than girls!” Hunk placed a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “You always end up teasing them and riling them up and even being mean to them, just like K-“

Lance tackled Hunk to the ground and covered his mouth. “Hunk! You promised never to speak of it!” He hissed. 

“Speak of what?” Keith said. 

“Yes, Loverboy Lance~” Pidge sing-songed. “Speak of what?~”

“What is said drunk at slumber parties stays at the drunk slumber parties!” Lance screeched. Hunk sighed into Lance’s hand that was covering his mouth. 

“MMfffmm.” 

“Oh.” Lance uncovered Hunk’s mouth. 

“Yeah, sorry, Pidge. Best friends’ honour.” Hunk shrugged. 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’m outta here.” He stood up and began walking back towards his lion. 

“Fine, you, you....KEITH!” Lance said, as if the word ‘Keith’ itself was an insult, and stormed off, absolutely not taking one last glance at Keith’s shoulder muscles as he went. 

“Do you think they’ll ever figure out that they totally like each other and they’d sort out all this tension by just making out?” Pidge said to Hunk. 

“Okay, gross thought, but I agree the tension needs to go. We can only hope they figure it out. For all our sanity’s sakes.” Hunk sighed. 

“Agreed.” Krolia muttered from behind them. 

“What was that?!” Pidge and Hunk half-screamed. 

“Nothing!”


End file.
